BEIRUT - Lebanon's official news agency said Sunday that soldiers have found a bomb-laden vehicle near the border with Syria.

The NNA said that soldiers' suspicions were raised after the driver fled the vehicle some 600 meters (one-third of a mile) from an army

checkpoint. The agency said military experts subsequently found "a large amount" of explosives in the vehicle. It said the vehicle came from the Syrian Qalamoun area that borders the eastern Lebanese Bekaa Valley.

Officials of the Shiite group Hezbollah, that also patrols the area, said the vehicle held 220 pounds of explosives (100 kilograms) of explosives. They spoke on condition of anonymity, because they aren't allowed to speak to media. (AP)